Shuttle for holding shells.



' H. A. STILLWELL. SHUTTLE I'OB HOLDING SHELLS. 'AVPPLIOATION' FILED MAL. 19, 1908.

918,606. Patented Apr.20, 1909.

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H. A. STILLWELL. SHUTTLE FOR HOLDING- SHELLS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 19, 1908.

91 8.606. Patented Apr. 20, 1909. L

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WITNESSES.- nvvz/vron 5:5 I 4;; 4, 4l uih L ATTOR/VE UNITED STATES PATENT onriuon.

HOWARD A. STILLWELL, OF WOODBURY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE E. I. DU FONT DE NEMOURSJOWDER COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SHUTTLE FOR HOLDING SHELLS.

Patented April 20, 1909.

Application filed March 19, 1908. Serial No. 422,179.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,I'IOWARD A. STILLWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Woodbury, county of Gloucester, and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Shuttles for Holding Shells, of which the following is a full, clear,

. and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to shuttles adapted toform receptacles for shells while they, are being filled with explosive material.

The object of the invention is to so construct the shuttle that it may be readily inanj ulated and adjusted to receive, retain, and ischarge the shells.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention designed for application to a shuttle adapted to be secured to a revolving table that is brought into line successively with the shellfeeding and shell packing devices, and adapted to be operated to discharge the shells Without removal from the tablcl It will be understood, however, that the invention is also adapted for application to a shuttle intended to be filled and discharged by means of any appliances or even by hand, and I have therefore not illustrated any appliances for coactin therewith except the table to which it wiIl ordinarily be secured.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the shuttle with the leaves in position to hold the shells; Fig. 2 a side elevation of the same applied to a table; Fig.3 is a side elevation partly in section of the shuttle swung into the discharge position and with the leaves in position to permit ready discharge Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 5 isn perspective detail view.

a, b, c, d, e represent the leaves of the shuttle; each leaf except the front leaf o and rear leaf e have in each side semi-cylindrical vertically extending grooves or recesses f complementary to similar grooves 01' recesses in the opposing side of the next adj acent leaf; the leaves a and. e havingsuch recesses only in their inner sides. The intermediate leaves are shorter, horizontally considered, than the outer leaves, and are grooved in their ends to receive tongues formed on the'plates b, c,

d, the outer faces of the latter being flush.

with the ends of the leaves a and e.

The front leaf a is secured to the sidebars groove q orme g and has secured to it the slide bars 71. having horizontal slots engaging pins 6 0 d on the plates 1), c, 01 respectively The latter also have pins 6 a", d engaging horizontal slots in the slide bars is secured to the rear leaf 6.

.The slide bars 71 are connected together on "each side of the shuttle by spacing bars 71.

The rear leaf 6 has secured to its outer face a cam i engaged by a roller 1 secured to a crank shaft m turning in bearings in corresponding ends of the side-bars g. The opposite ends ofthe side bars g are pivoted on trunnions supported on standards a bolted to the table 0 and threaded in the ends of a spacin bar extending between the side bars.

To 0 ose the lower ends of the shell recep t'acles' formed by the semi-cylindrical recessesf, there are provided a number of plugs .p, which are preferably removable. In the drawings (see particularly'Figfi) each row of plugs corresponding to each row of shell receptacles formed by complementary recesses in adjacent leaves is shownjas secured to a bar ada ted. to enter a transverse in one of such leaves. A

air of rods r extend through alining orifices formed in the lower end of all the leaves, in the lower ends of the tongues of the plates 1), c, d, and in the bars g, the rods being connected at one end by the yoke s. S1milar rods 1" extend through orifices in the upper ends of the leaves and plates and these rods are connected at one end by the yoke .9. Thus the leaves are secured to the end plates and the plugs retained within the receptacles. By making the intermediate leaves separate from the end plates, the leaves with the thus making provision fo r adjusting the length 1 0 5 of the receptacles to accommodate shells of different length.

Preliminary to filling the shuttles, the latter rests on the table, as shown in Fig. 2; and

the leaves are moved from the closed posino The tion shown in that figure and in Fig. 1 to the open position shown in Fi s. 3 and4, this being effected by turnin the crank shaft m, thereby causing the ro ler l to work against 5 the cam i. This causes the leaf e to move .away from its adjacent leaf d the slide bars 7c moving with the leafe. When the end walls of the'slots registering with the pins 01 in the end lates d of leaf d enga e said pins, the leaf begins to partake of t e movement of leaf 0. The leaf d now moves away from its adjacent leaf 0.. When the end walls of the slots registering with the pins in the end. plates 0 of leaf 0 engage said pins, the leaf 0 egins to partake of the movement of leaves e and d. The leaf 0 now moves away from its adjacent leaf 1). When the end walls of the slots registering with the pins in the end lates b of leaf b enga e said pins, the leaf gbegins to partake of tie movement of leaves e, cl and c. The leaf 6 now moves away from the outer leaf 0,. During the foregoing movements, the pins (1 have been moving in their corresponding slots in the slide-bars h; and after the leaf 1) has moved awa from leaf a a certain distance, the ins I d W1 all have advanced to the ends of t eir v -corresponding slots thus limiting their further movement. a

It will be observed that the slots registering with ins d are of (progressively increasing lengt. from al an I), thus causing the movement of leaf e to be picked up successivel by the leaves d, c and b. It will also be 0 served that the slots registerin with pins d 0 11 are also of progressive y 'de- 'creasing length, so that the movement of all the movable. leaves will be simultaneously sto tha the length of theslo s mi ht be prolonged in one direction, although such prolongation would be functionless, the only reuirement being that the distance between t spins and the farther ends walls of their res ective slots, when the shuttle is closed, she ll vary as described.

- When the shuttle is in the open position to which it has been brought by the-o eration just described, the shuttle is rea y to receive the shells, which may be done either by hand or by automatic mechanism. When the shuttle is filled, the crank shaft m is returned to its original position, thus causin the cam i to Work against the leaf 6, an causing the several leaves a, d, c, and b to suecessive y begin to move forward and all of them to simultaneously return to their original position.

and are ready to e filled. After they are filled, they are ready to be discharged. This may be done by again opening the shuttle as hereinbefore described and withdrawing the shells by hand; but more conveniently, the shuttle may be first swung on its pivot from ped. It will be understood, however,

After the shuttle is thus closed the shells are firml held in their receptaclesthe position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to the reversed position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and

' then the shuttle may be opened, permitting the shells to drop out. a

I have shown stops t and t secured to the front shuttle a and adapted, when the shut- 4 tle is swung into its reversed position, to respectively engage stops at and a secured respectively to brackets on the table 0 and to the top of the standards a.

Havin now fully described my invention, what I c aim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: Y

1. A shell holding shuttle comprising a series of leaves, adjacent leaves having complementary shell recesses formed in their opposing sides and forming shell receptacles, p ugs in said receptacles, and means for removably holding said plugs inposition.

2. A shell holding shuttle comprising a series of leaves, adjacent leaves having complementary shell recesses formed in their opposing sides, extensible devices connecting the several leaves, and actuating mechanism for moving said devices into their extended positions, thereby opening the leaves of the shuttle.

. 3. A shell holding shuttle comprising a series of leaves, adjacent leaves having complementary shell recesses formed in their 0 posing sides, extensible devices connecting t e rear leaf of the series with each of the other leaves except the front leaf-and actuating mechanism, engaging the rear leaf, for retracting the same, thereby, through said extensible devices, retracting all the leaves iaxcfept the front leaf from the next adjacent I 4. A shell holdin "shuttle comprising a series of leaves, sidears, connected with the front leaf of the series, cooperating leaf actuating mechanism connected respectively to said side bars and the rear'leaf of the series, and extensible connecting devices between adjacent leaves; 5. A shell holdin shuttle com rising a series of leaves, sideare conneete with the front leaf of the series, a cam connected with the rear leaf of theseries, a cam.roller connected' to the side-bars, and extensible connecting devices between adjacent leaves.

6.' A shell holding shuttle com rising a series of separable leaves, slotted side bars secured to the rear leaf. of the series, ins on the. intermediate leaf or leaves wor 'ng in said slots and at varying distances from correspondin end walls thereof, and actuating mec anism for moving the adjacent leaves away from or toward each other.

7.. A shell holding shuttle comprisin a series of leaves, slotted slide bars secure to .theleaves are closed the distance from the pins to the front walls of their respective slots pro ressively increases toward the front 1 leaf, an actuatingl mechanism for applying a pulling force to t e rear leaf of the series. 5 8. A shell-holding shuttle comprising a series oflleaves, extensible connecting devices between adjacent leaves, actuating mechan ism for applying a pulling force to the rear leaf of the series, and stop mechanism connecting adjacent leaves to limit their relative movement.

9, A shell holding shuttle comprising aseries of leaves, slotted slide bars secured to the rear leaf of the series, pins on the intermediate leaf'or leaves working in saidslots, slotted slide bars secured to the front leaf of the series, pins on the intermediate leaf or leaves,

workin in the last-named slots, the arran ement 0 the latter being such that when t 1e leaves are closed the distance from the'pins to the rear walls of such slots progressively decreases toward the front leaf, and actuating mechanism for applying a pulling pressure to the'rear leaf of the series.

10. A shell-holding shuttle comprisin a series of leaves,-a late removably secure to and forming the nds of each intermediate leaf, and extensible connecting devices between adjacent leaves, said connectingdevices being connected to the plate of each intermediate leaf, thereby 'ena to beseparately withdrawn without-disturbance of the connecting devices. 7

11. A shell holding shuttle comprising a series of leaves, adjacent leaves having com- 1 plementary shell recesses formed in their opposing sides and forming shell receptacles, plugs in said receptacles, bars, each extend ing into grooves in one of the leaves and carrying a row of said plugs, and rods extending through said leaves and bars.

ling the leaves 12. A shell holding shuttle comprising a1 series of leaves, adjacent leaves having complementary shell recesses formed in their opposing sides and forming shell receptacles, plugs in said receptacles, a plate, forming the end of each intermediate leaf, having av tongue extending within a groove in said leaf, bars, one between each two adjacent leaves extending within a groove in one of such leaves and carrying a row of said plugs, and {)ods extending through said leaves, plate and ars.

13. A shell holding shuttle comprising a series of separable leaves, side bars extending along opposite ends of the leaves, atable," and a bracket thereon on which said sidebars are pivotallymounted. a

14. A shell holding shuttle comprising a series of separable leaves, a table, said shut tle bein pivotally mounted thereon so as to be capa 1c of reversal, and coacting stops, on x the table and shuttle res ectively, adapted to limit the movement 0 the shuttle when reversed.

15-. A shell holding shuttle comprising a series of three or more leaves, means to apply a pulling face to the first leaf, and device's'ses cured respectively to the first leaf and the second leaf adapted to contact one with the 70 other after the first leaf'has been pulled a predetermined distance, thereby successively s acing the first leaf from the second leaf and tile second leaf from the third leaf.

In testimony of which invention, hereunto set my hand, at Woodbury, N'. J on this tenth day of March, 1908.

HOWARD A. ,STILLWTELL.

' Witnesses: I l

EDWARD P. HENRY, DAVID O. WATKINS.

I have. 7's 

